


A Happy New Year

by IHeartSnuffles



Series: Pinescone Drabbles [3]
Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Adult Wirt, Angst, Anxiety, Depression, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, New Years, Social Anxiety, pinescone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 03:30:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5612305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IHeartSnuffles/pseuds/IHeartSnuffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper gets anxious about parties, disliked New Years parties because they always end up with him hiding somewhere and starting the year off badly.</p><p>Of course Mabel had to host one this year at the Shack. Of course she invited everyone and their uncle.</p><p>And of course, he spotted his best friend and love of his life Wirt dancing with his old flame from highschool. No wonder he felt like his brain was gonna implode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Happy New Year

**Author's Note:**

> A day late after New Years but my first fic of 2016, I hope you all have a good year this year!!

The party was booming loud, and Dipper’s eyesight was getting fuzzy around the edges not even from drinking at this point. In his hand was a red cup clenched between uneasy fingers, his whole body tense from head to toe.

He’d seen _him_ , his best friend Wirt, dancing with Sara.

Dipper knew this party was a terrible idea, that he’d have been better off laying in bed upstairs writing in his Journal about the encounter with the gnomes he’d had earlier that month. But of course, being the introvert to his sister’s extrovert was never an easy task when your twin demanded to throw a New Years party at the Mystery Shack and desperately wanted you to be there. The store had been cleaned out similarly to when they’d thrown a party all those years ago during their second summer in Gravity Falls, the disco ball hung high above them and the couch where he’d parked himself completely deserted.

And of course, as this party was like any other New Years party, he felt nothing but regret as he stood up and quickly made his way upstairs towards the bathroom, the alcohol in his stomach heavy and nauseating. He needed to get out. So many eyes, so many voices, Wirt’s eyes… He didn’t even hear Wirt calling out for him or see his sister’s surprised, crestfallen expression as he fled.

Dipper hated the thought of his crush on Wirt, it made him sick with emotions that really, really kinda sucked. He was absolutely infatuated with his best friend, and Mabel as a last ditch effort to try and get them together had invited his partner-in-investigations to the party despite Dipper’s frantic pleading.

Anxiety was an ass, but Dipper felt like an even bigger ass for even hoping that this upcoming new year would change anything. False hopes always clung to him like lint on Mabel’s sweaters.

As he made it to the second floor, Dipper’s chest began to hurt and he felt his cup start to slip in his weakened grasp, and he dashed up to the roof without a second thought. The fireworks from town were visible, the booms not too loud and not too over-stimulating for the young man.

“God, what a great way to ring in this new year Dipper. Absolutely great. Just like last year.” He groaned, setting his cup down and laying back on the shingled tiles with one arm beneath his head and the other flung over his eyes. “Here’s to another year of regret, self-loathing, and another round of failed medication and… failed emotion.”

The air whistled around him, cold and sharp, and he shivered quietly amidst the sound of muted music and fireworks going off in the distance. Shit he’d forgotten his coat and scarf. Dipper sighed, sitting up and swinging his legs lazily over the edge of the landing. Part of him wanted to go inside and get warm, to mingle and see his friends and be with his family. The other part of him wanted to stay out in the cold and stay alone, to avoid all the eyes and whispers and stares of those who saw him leave the party. And of course, the anxious side of him won as he continued to shiver, watching the lights in the sky in silence.

It seemed like a small while before he heard the window below him open, quickly retreating his legs up to the ledge so as to not alert the person opening the window he was there. Of course he didn’t make it in time, for he heard a voice call out his name that made his whole body freeze and his heart thud painfully in his chest. Of anybody that Mabel could have sent to get him, of course she sent-

“Dipper? Your sister told me you’d be up here. Can I join you?” Wirt’s hesitant voice floated up, Dipper curling into himself and hugging his legs to his chest. “I brought your coat and scarf.”

“Y-Yeah, sorry I suddenly left. Loud music and lots of people, it sorta still gets to me y’know.” Dipper laughed shallowly, biting back the sick happy feeling he felt from hearing that Wirt had brought him his things. He watched Wirt clamber up to the ledge, unable to hold in a small chuckle when he saw Wirt slip a little and curse.

“Thanks… Sorry I made you worry.” Dipper accepted his coat and scarf, slipping the clothes over his t-shirt and sighing with relief at the protection from the cold. The roof almost began vibrating as the music inside seemed to get louder, Mabel was probably starting the dance-off by now.

“No worries Dipper, I understand.” Wirt smiled, sitting down next to Dipper and tugging his scarf around his own neck a little tighter. He wouldn’t admit out loud that the second he’d seen Dipper fled, he felt part of his heart shatter in fear. He wouldn’t tell Dipper that he immediately ditched Sara and his friends to seek him out, having searched the whole Shack before he’d asked Mabel in a fit of fear where Dipper could have possibly gone, only to have her smile and hand him Dipper’s winter clothes and tell him that they needed to talk and that her brother, his best friend, was on the roof.

Wirt couldn’t begin to explain how panicked he felt, all he knew is that he needed to find Dipper, and felt a little foolish for freaking out so badly. So he bit back his story and simply asked, “What’re you thinking about? Any plans for New Years resolutions or whatnot?” This got a small laugh out of Dipper, and it made his heart hurt to see such a sardonic grin on his friend. What he would give to make that smile heartfelt, to hold Dipper tightly and not let go until he saw how much he cared.

How much he loved Dipper.

But he couldn’t tell him, and as he listened to Dipper list off a few plans for the next month in regards to explorations and volunteering at the highschool and his community college courses, he felt this strange feeling. That if he didn’t say something his heart might just explode. Of course that was illogical, but it didn’t stop him from slowly moving his hand over Dipper’s until he saw the other man’s eyes meet his own in confusion and… was that regret?

“What’s up man? You seem a lil upset.” Dipper ventured cautiously, his voice guarded. Wirt’s hand was on his, they were essentially holding hands, holy shit what the hell was going on. Was Wirt really that worried about him? He watched Wirt’s expressive face go still and stare at him, fidgeting under his scrutinizing gaze as the silence permeated the air. It seemed like the countdown was starting inside, even the music dying down. The only sounds Dipper could hear was the wind and their breathing, and his own heartbeat ringing unbearably fast in his ears.

“I… You saw me, dancing with Sara didn’t you?” Wirt finally spoke, keeping his eyes on Dipper’s face, searching for a sign. A flicker of horror passed over Dipper’s face before it was schooled down with an almost terrifyingly fast ease, there it was. He knew Dipper wouldn’t just leave his sibling alone, he wasn’t like that. He’d come a long way from the scared, socially anxious and shunned Dipper that Wirt had met in highschool. Both of them had come a long way from those dark days.

“I saw, and I’m sorry, I know how it is to be seen and stuff but… I promise it isn’t like that between us. If anything, she’s been rooting me on over a.. crush I have.” Wirt trailed off, seeing surprise flicker on Dipper’s face again as he accidentally let out more than he needed to, noting a small degree of fear and hope in Dipper’s eyes. After being trained by Mabel and Dipper for years on the art of people-reading, he was impeccable at reading Dipper’s emotions.

“A crush hmm?” Dipper smirked, squashing down the hateful words that erupted from his mind and made him feel like tears were about to overwhelm him, Wirt’s eyeroll making him laugh. “Nah man, I know you two didn’t work out in freshman year, it’d be awk if you guys didn’t talk and hang out still. I get it. I’m just on my mood swings or whatever, it’ll pass. But gimme the deets on this crush of yours, since Mabes ain’t here I’ll do the investigating in her stead.”

“Well you know him, that’s for sure.” Wirt started out, Dipper’s eyes lighting up in that way that made him want to kiss him silly. God he was pathetic. “He’s uh… really my type, really good looking, and.. he’s incredibly strong and kind. And strong not in the whole muscle sense but like, in the mental and emotional sense.” Wirt’s inner monologue was just ‘why don’t you just tell him’ repeating over and over.

“I know him? Who… Jason Funderburker?” Dipper almost outright cackled at the look of disgust that crossed over Wirt’s features, biting his lip a bit when Wirt scrunched up his face and punched him in the arm.

“I would willingly sit in the cage with the Hobgroblin before I would ever like Jason Funderburker, that total package friend-stealing…” Wirt grumbled, crossing his arms but unable to keep a small smile from his lips as he saw Dipper calm down considerably as compared to earlier. He could hear the shouts of people counting down from twenty, his heart suddenly racing. “But I… I think I can trust telling you who it is. Best friends and all that, you’d only tell Mabel if it was a life or death situation at this point. Not that she doesn’t already know.”

“Really? I’m honored. So who’s the lucky guy?” Dipper smiled, his heart in so much pain and his eyes stinging from the cold and heartbreak, he knew the moment Wirt told him who it was, he would probably have to lie about the cold and fake a bunch of sneezes at this rate. Damn his stupid crush, his… love for Wirt was getting in the way of being a good friend to him.

“Well… He’s… Wait there’s ten seconds left. Quick, stand up Dipper!” Wirt stood up on the landing, hauling Dipper to his feet and grabbing both of his hands. He didn’t think he’d confess like this, he told himself he’d NEVER confess in hopes of keeping their friendship, but here he was clasping Dipper’s hands like he was gonna run away or disappear before he could get the words out.

**_Ten!_ **

**_Nine!_ **

**_Eight!_ **

 

“Dipper, he’s…”

 

**_Seven!_ **

**_Six!_ **

**_Five!_ **

 

“Wirt…?”

**_Four!_ **

**_Three!_ **

**_Two!_ **

 

“He’s…!”

**_One!_ **

 

“Dipper I’m in love with you!” Wirt burst out, squeezing his eyes shut and shivering as the cries of ‘Happy New Year!’ rang out from beneath them, muffled by the walls of the Shack and the whistle of the now-January wind. The silence that followed was unbearable, the sounds of fireworks filling the gap between them as he waited for his best friend, the love of his life, to process what he’d just shouted into his face. Oh god he screwed it up, Dipper probably was so confused and uncomfortable.

Dipper couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. All he could do was feel Wirt’s hands holding his own, those six words ringing in his ears and through his numb mind as he slowly started to connect the dots. Angry, depressed words wormed into the cracks of his mind but despite the protests in his head and the anxiety gripping him, he felt a flicker of happiness start to burn within him.

“Why… what, th-there’s no logical reason…” Dipper’s throat was too dry, his voice cracking and he winced at Wirt’s flinch, “W-Wait shit hold up, sorry I… you like me? Like really like me?” Damn he couldn’t keep the joy or hope from his voice, and seeing Wirt open his eyes with that sheepish smile he adored, he felt his lips twitch upwards. “Oh my god… You asshole I’m not strong.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re incredibly strong, you saved the world when you were twelve, and you’ve been fighting off anxiety and depression for so long, you’re so strong to me Dipper. You care so much, how can I not love you?” Wirt burst out again, “Ah, crap, sorry I’m not… I’m not very good with when you put yourself down, you’re amazing and I hate to see your illness lie to you about that.”

Dipper could feel his face turning red, and squeezed Wirt’s hands with a small smile. “If it were anybody else I would have punched them for real for saying that but… seeing as how I uh, feel similarly about you, I don’t wanna be the hypocrite here.” He worded it in such a convoluted way but he could see Wirt light up and was incredibly grateful that he’d fallen in love with someone who got him so well, aware of the constant stream of lies that his brain kept spewing at him about how it wouldn’t last, that he’d leave him or hate him after too long.

“I’m glad you feel similarly, Dipper. Thank you, for trusting me. I’d like to um, ask if you’re free later today for perhaps an old movies marathon and some snacks? After the Shack cleanup of course.” Wirt ventured, carefully pulling Dipper closer to him and slowly wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s waist after a nod from Dipper.

“That sounds… really nice. As long as there’s hot cocoa I’m in, and well… maybe some more of this if you’re offering.” Dipper rested his hands on Wirt’s shoulders timidly, his small smile growing slowly.

“Anything you’re comfortable with, I’m good with.” Wirt smiled, resting his forehead against Dipper’s. “Quick question, which I probably should know the answer to but I’m a cheeseball and going to ask anyways… Have you ever rung in the New Year with a kiss, Dipper?”

Dipper’s heart nearly skipped a beat and his breath hitched, the brunet shaking his head with a small grin, “Nope, mind fixing that for me?” The nasty, hateful words in his mind spiked before he gathered the courage to reply, and they began to slowly mute as Wirt brought a hand up to cup his cheek. The sounds of cheers and music and the wind all died away with the words as their lips touched, and Dipper finally could hear himself think and felt something rush through him. It was strange, like something grabbing his heart and head and filling them with a warm fuzziness that made him laugh and tug Wirt into a couple more kisses.

He felt somewhat whole, the emptiness still there and the tension in his mind still there, but he also felt a surge of affection and happiness. And he was content as he finally was dragged out of the cold and kissed senseless by his best friend… his boyfriend Wirt. The sensation and thought made him giggle uncontrollably, and if Mabel and Sara and their friends noticed their kiss-swollen lips and hands connected as they made their way back to the party, they thankfully said nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> As someone with depression/anxiety, even being in a relationship will never truly fix the illnesses that wreaks havoc on your thoughts and actions, and I don't want to ever romanticize the struggle or recovery of those two illnesses.
> 
> If you have any thoughts or requests, feel free to shoot me a message on tumblr (my url is iheartpkmn, my inbox is always open~)


End file.
